Improvement in fire-escapes



LA. TIXIER.

FIRE-ESCAPE. No. 187,569.. Patented 913,, 20, 1877.

ATTORNEYS.

N.FE|'ERS. PlOTO-UTNOGRAPHER. WSHINGTON, D. C.

ivrrnn IMPROVEMENT IN FlRE-ESCAPES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 87,565}, dated February 20, 1877 application filedj January 6, 1877.

lmprovement in Fire-Escape, of which the following is aspeciii'cation:

Figure l is a front view of my improved device, shown as applied to the windowof a building, and part being broken away to show the construction. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same,

part being broken away to show the construction. Fig. 3 is a side view of the frame folded for storage. Fig. 4: is a detail top view of the device that receives the lowering-rope.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts.

The object of this invention is to furnish an improved fire-escape, which shall be so constructed that it may be readily secured in a window of a building, and which shall be simple in construction and convenient in use, and may be folded into small compass for storage and transportation.

The invention will first be described in 0011- nection with the drawing, and then pointed out in the claims.

A are two bars, the forward ends of which havedownwardly-projectin g arms formed upon them, to rest against the outer edge of the win: (low-ledge. Upon the inner ends of the bars A are formed downwardly-projectin g notched or hook-arms to hook upon the inner edge of the window-ledge. The ends of the bars A are connected and held in their proper relative position by rods B. The bars A are .further secured, when placed in a window, by pins 0, attached to their inner parts, and which rest against the side bars of the window-frame. To the outer side of the middle parts of the bars A are pivoted the lower ends of two bars, D, the upper ends of which are connected and held in proper relative position by a rod, E; To the upper parts'of the bars 1) is also attached a second .rod, F, the ends of which project, to rest against the side bars of the window-frame. To the inner sidesof the middle parts of the base-bars A are pivoted the lower ends of two bars, G, the upper ends of which are connected by a rod, H. l are two bars, the outer ends of which are connected by a rod, J and which are pivoted, near theirouter ends, to the upper ends of the bars G by the rod H. The bars I are connected, toward their inner ends, by a rod, K, and to them,

near their inner ends, is attached a rod, L,.the ends of which project, to rest against the inner sides of the side bars of the windowframe. When the bars I are pushed outward the end parts of the rod L enter notches beneath shoulders M, formed upon the rear edges of the upper partiof the bars I) where they are secured in place by springcatches N, attached tothe said bars D. To the rod F is attached a crossbar, It, to the lower end of which is attached a hook, S, to take hold of the lower railot' the upper sash, and hold the apparatus in place. The book S is held up against the rail of the sash by a spring, T, attached to the bar D, and which bears againstapin attached to the side of the lower end of the cross-bar R. The

upward movement of the hook S is limited by the upper end of the cross-bar R. striking against the rod E, and its downward movement is limited by the lower end of the crossbar It striking against a pin, U, attached to the barD. The upper side of the outer ends of the bars I are notched to receive the side bars of the frame 0, which is secured in place by the hooks P. The hooks I? hook upon the lower edges of the bars I, and their shanks are attached to bars Q, the ends of which are pivoted to the side barsot' the frame 0, and to which are attached short cross-bars R. The ends of the cross-bars R rest upon a spring, S, attached to the frame 0, to hold the said hooks in place. To the side bars of the frame 0 are attached two cylinders,T, around which passes a rope, U, the said rope making two or three turns around each roller. The cylinders T are held from turning by the bar V, the ends of which rest in notches in the ends of the said cylinders T, or in plates attached to said ends. The bar V is attached, at its center, to a bar, W, the ends of which are attached to the side bars of the frame 0. To the bar W are attached the centers of two spring-plates, X, whichare curved from each other, so that the ends of one may rest'upon the upper sides, and the ends of the other upon the lower sides of the cylinders T, to bear upon the coils of the rope to increase the friction upon it. The part of the rope U that passes from one to the other of the cylinders T passes between the middle parts of the spring-plates X. By this construction the friction upon the rope U may be increased and diminished by adjusting the spring-plates Xcloser to or farther from each other.

To the rope U, atadistance apart equal to the distance from the window to the ground, are attached two chairs, Y, so that one may be ascending as the other is descending, and so that the upper chair may be receiving its load while the lower one is being unloaded. The chairs Y may be provided with a guard-strap, y, to be buckled around the waist of the occupant of said chair, or with a guard-rail, '1 ,'to keep its occupant from falling off. To the inner ends of the bars I is pivoted a shaft, N, to one end of which is attached a crank, O, and upon which is placed a spool, P. The spool P is so arranged thatit will be carried around by and with the shaft N in its revolution, but may slide longitudinally upon said shaft. The spool P is surrounded by a cage or reel, Q, which turns looselyupon the shaft N.

When the device is not in use the ropes U and D may be wound upon the spool P, to

keep them out of the way and in condition for immediate use. i

Having thus described my invention,Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patcut- 1. The combination of the armed bars A, provided with the rods B and pins 0, the pivoted bars D, provided with the rods E F, the

shoulders M, and the catches N, the pivoted bars G, provided with the rod H, and the pivoted bars I, provided with the rods J K L, with each other, to adapt them to be placed in a window-frame, substantially as herein shown and described.

2. The combination of the cross-bar R, the hook S, and the spring T with the rods E F and the pivoted barsD,for securing the framework in the window, substantially as herein shown and described.

3. The combination of-the frame 0, the cylinders T, the rope U, the lock-bar V, the crossbar W, and the spring-plates X with the pivoted bars I of the frame-work, substantially as herein shown and described.

4. The combination of the hooks P, the pivoted bars Q, the cross-bars R, and the springs S with the frame 0 and the pivoted bars I of the main frame, substantially as herein shown and described.

5. The combination of the chairs Y, provided with the guard-rail 3 with the rope of the friction device, substantially as herein shown and described.

6. The combination of the shaft N, the crank O, the spool P, and the reel Q with the pivoted bars I of the main frame, substantially as herein shown and described.

JULES A, TIXIER'. Witnesses:

JAMES T. GRAHAM, O. SEDGWICK. 

